That is, Kobe Bryant dishing the ball to his big men.
OK, so maybe racking up 11 assists (as part of a 23-11-11 triple-double, no less) wasn't exactly customary for the Black Mamba back in the day—nor is it so now.
But if the Lakers are going to parlay a massive 101-81 win over the Dallas Mavericks into something more than a late-season smackdown of an old rival, they could certainly use more of Kobe the Point Guard.
At first glance, that may seem like a silly request to make of Bryant.
With all the scoring Kobe does/feels he has to do for this squad, you'd think the guy already has enough on his plate with which to concern himself. And considering that Bryant shares a backcourt with Steve Nash, shouldn't he let another Hall of Famer handle the bulk of the passing and dribbling duties?
Certainly not with Nash sidelined by a hamstring injury. That setback is just the latest in a long line that has derailed his inaugural season since pulling a pseudo-Benedict Arnold on the Phoenix Suns.
Nash missed 24 games between November and December after fracturing a bone in his left leg and often struggled to find any sort of rhythm or flow to his game even after returning—which isn't all that surprising when you consider that:
A) Nash is 39 years old,
B) He's adjusting to a new city and a new franchise after spending the previous eight years in Phoenix, and
C) Not since his first stint with the Suns had Steve been in a situation wherein he wasn't always his team's primary ball-handler.
That's a lot for a routine-oriented guy like Nash to deal with, especia...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
